Strategy for Limit Texas Hold em Poker

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Last post I talked about some basic differences in play between Limit Hold em and No Limit Hold em and mistakes that some players make as they switch from NL to Limit. There are some things that you can do that are wildly different in Limit from its No Limit variant.

For example, drawing to your hand becomes much more applicable. Lets say you are early in a tournament and the blinds are $20-$40 and your chip stack is $3000. If you get into a hand in middle position with something like K-Q and the Flop comes A-Q-T, it may be well worth calling that $40 bet to see the Turn card. You are getting great odds on your money to chase this hand at this point and your opponent does not have the “all-in” club to hit you over the head with.

Flush draws also become more attractive because your opponent cannot make the pots odds so weighted against you because he cannot bet enough at one time. Also hands with mid pocket pairs like 8-8 become worth seeing the Turn with even if an over card came on the Flop. Not only might your hand be good, your might draw to your set in this instance and there is little your opponent can do to stop you. In No Limit you would have to respect over cards on the flop with your middle pair and you would likely have to call a large bet to see the Turn. In Limit, you can see that Turn card usually fairly cheap.

Another factor in Limit is that because it is cheap to get in (you usually don’t have to call as many large pre-flop raises) you will see players limping in with a wider variety of hands. This means a couple of things. One, if you notice this, start raising with any hands that you play pre-flop and you will soon be intimidating the table post flop. Two, if you are in a pot with one other player, dont assume he has an Ace if an Ace hits the Flop. He might be playing something like K-T and even if he bets it, it is often times worth seeing another card simply because the price is right. You will find many players will lead out with a bet on the Flop and then slow down and check the Turn and/or River when they realize you are not going away.

Limit Hold em can be a lot trickier than NL, just because you cannot push another player off his hand as easily. One thing to try until you get the hang of it is to cut down on the amount of hands that you are playing. That way when you do come into a hand, your opponents will suspect you have something premium and treat you accordingly. You do not want to become the player that everyone tries to draw out a hand on simply because they suspect you play a lot of junk. Tighten up and make the hands you do play count.

To purchase my 224 page ebook The No BS Guide to Winning Online No Limit Texas Holdem or live one-on-one coaching sessions with Chris Wilcox, click this link:http://www.chriswilcoxpoker.com/category/kickstarter-2/p
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